Let's make a list: Magic tone sweetener pedals.

[GrayGoesBlack]

I discovered my DOD Boneshaker as a nice tone sweetener for bass the other day. Never really could get into it on guitar, but it's EQ really lends itself well for bass, and it isn't by far the brutal distortion the name might suggest. It's more of a overdrive, can give a bit of edge, but mostly it's the eq that works. I actually got a compliment from the guitar player about my tone.

 

[Thegreatzambini]

Diamond Bass Comp- Barber Linden - Sadowsky SBP-1

I too shall say the Diamond bass comp

 

[Jesuguru]

It’s not a pedal…courtesy my neighbor across the street: Deluxe Amplification Vitamin B-15 Bass Preamp DI
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Sounds like this needs to be next on Tube DI maestro @scubaduba list.

 

[cheechi]

I discovered my DOD Boneshaker as a nice tone sweetener for bass the other day. Never really could get into it on guitar, but it's EQ really lends itself well for bass, and it isn't by far the brutal distortion the name might suggest. It's more of a overdrive, can give a bit of edge, but mostly it's the eq that works. I actually got a compliment from the guitar player about my tone.

could you share a photo of your settings? i am trying to find a setting that differentiates it from the rest of my OD/Fuzzes and can't quite find something i love.

I have one (almost) always on pedal, the Compressore. I have situationally always on, the B7k with my P & PJs, Joyo American with my J.

I hate(love) that this thread is basically a shopping list. I already don't have room for my DOD Gunslinger or BDI21 and now I want 6 more pedals.

 

[DRay521]

The JHS Prestige serves this purpose on my large board. It’s technically a buffer to avoid signal loss in large pedal chains, which is exactly the role it serves 0-25%. But boosted just past that in the 30-40% range is the sweet spot, and adds a nice punch and clarity to my signal. Always on.

 

[Justin Keoni]

I’m surprised there aren’t more votes for the Broughton Studio Boost/Studio One.

 

[MrDinsdale]

Currently the 2 pedals that are really defining my tone are:

Jad Freer Capo - A very well featured Preamp/DI pedal with very good pre/post DI and FX loops. Does anything from warm cleans all the way up-to pure grit.

EAE Model FeT - Sunn Model T emulation, stacks great with other drives and the bright/normal channels makes for some great tonal options. To be honest I'd planned on getting rid when i got the Capo but theres just something very subtle it adds that I can't quite seem to replicate, possibly down to the power section emulation.

Special shout out to the EAE Longsword which is an absolutely phenomenal drive pedal.

 

[dirtychinchilla]

He meant “je ne sais pas”. From Fr. “I know not what”.

French idiom for “something special that I can’t quite quite define.”

Sorry, that's wrong. Je ne sais pas means I don't know. Je ne sais quois means I don't know what, quois being what.

 

[foal30]

Diamond Bass Comp
Free The Tone Bass Blaster
Sadowsky SBP-1

Any of these three are good news

 

[Hypocrite]

Darkglass X7. Not a "tone sweetener" in the traditional sense, but subtlety doesn't really work in death metal

 

[el murdoque]

I don't know why I read threads like this, I just end up getting a bad case of GAS for half of everything mentioned (Motor City Big Block DI? Chase Tone Secret? How did I not know about such things?!?!?!?). Damn you @el murdoque

But also ... The Sushibox Finally is excellent in this regard. Many tube DIs fit the bill - The Noble, and I just got an SVTDi, a Khan, and a. Demeter DI (to compare) and they all add something special in different ways. The Finally stands out because it is much less $$$ but sounds incredible. The SIB Fatdrive is also one tube pre that adds a little something that I rarely hear in other tube pres.

Non-tube, the boxes that I haven't seen mentioned that come to mind are the Fre the Tone Bass Blaster and two compressors - the Cali76, which adds a nice punch and the Becos Stella, which not only adds a nice punch but also has vintage tape saturation capability, which I imagine is something like what the Emerald Prince and Chase Secret preamps also add.

Finally, for tone shaping devices, the JHS Colourbox has that Neve sound inherent in it's design. It pairs well with tube pres to really bring out a great tone.

Sorry, Jeffe, for being collateral in this venture.
I kind of ran out of pedal GAS and there's nothing better to re-kindle the flame by asking the good people of Talkbass about their secret weapons.

 

[Bright Midnight]

Aguilar DB925.

 

[JMX]

Sweet tone...

 

[LunarEclipse81]

Sushi Box Space Heather, use one on each of my PBs

View attachment 4967353 View attachment 4967354

hmm, how does the color of the DSM box compare to the space heater? Similar? Wildly different?

 

[tpaul]

Aguilar DB925.

I've wondered about that one. Care to elucidate?

 

[ewe2]

I'm using a DSM Bass Simplifier too, I just need a better compressor than the one I currently have (on the hunt for an Empress bass mk2) in the parallel loop to split. As I'm going straight from that into an audio interface or into a mixer that's pretty much me done for colouration unless I need a bit of clean boost or fuzz from my Brute Fuzz.

 

[landrybass]

What's your secret sauce pedal that you run as an always on to sweeten up your sound?

Not a pedal but I’d say any tube DI will be #1 I like the useful arts bf-1!

 

[NeonVomit]

SansAmp BDDI - old and gold.

 

[Bright Midnight]

I've wondered about that one. Care to elucidate?

Small pedal, with just two controls: Bass and Treble, no Mids control and doesn't need one either. Some say it makes a passive sound active. From my experience, with an L2K in active mode, this little gem not only boosts the frequencies, but also broadens your sound. As I understand the Bass and Treble knobs encompass the midrange frequencies as well, boosting them, opening them up. I was wanting the best preamp I could get for the limited budget I had at the time, and almost got a Walrus Bad Water. I didn't believe the DB925 could be that good with only 2 knobs, but I was mistaken. With my headphones while on Youtube I listened to some reviews of the DB925, and not long after I bought one. One of the best preamps imo! Simple, yet so very effective and musical. I pair it with an Empress Bass Compressor and Southampton 5th Gear, a clean Schertler BF15 and my trusty L2K. Even if I had the money to get a Mesa Subway DI +, I wouldn't part with the DB925. Do yourself a favor and check it out, it is really that good.

 

[el murdoque]

I've wondered about that one. Care to elucidate?

It's a bit like a pedal that converts your passive bass into an active one.
Only that it's not, not really.
You get a baked in tone plus two frequency bands you can boost.
It's super easy: Plug it in, switch it on, turn up the highs until you hit the sweet spot, turn up the lows until you hit the sweet spot - done. That's your sound.
It has that Aguilar warmth to it.